More than 150,000 residents Covid vaccinated one year on

This comes one year after an English NHS patient became the first person in the world to receive a Covid-19 jab, with Warrington’s vaccine programme beginning a week later.

Yesterday, Wednesday, marked a year to the day that then 90-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first person to get the Pfizer jab after its approval in the UK.

Exactly a week later, former GP Phillip Leech became the first person to be vaccinated for coronavirus in Warrington.

Since then, 161,580 people aged 12 and over in Warrington have received at least the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, figures up to December 4 from the UK coronavirus daily dashboard show.

That's at least 82 per cent of all people in the age group.

Of those, 148,647 have also received a second dose – 76 per cent of the age group – though 12 to 17-year-olds only became eligible for second jabs in recent weeks.

Phillip Leech receives Warrington's first Covid vaccination from Dr Laura Mount

Across the UK, 51million people have had their first jab and more than 46million have received a second dose.

After launching at the end of last year, the vaccine rollout first targeted the most vulnerable and their carers, as well as healthcare workers, before moving down the adult age groups.

The NHS launched its booster jab campaign in September, after data showed falling levels of protection from symptomatic disease and hospital admission six months after people have had their second jab.

Data shows 64,333 people in Warrington had received a booster jab or third dose of the coronavirus vaccine by December 4.

In the 12 months since the vaccine programme started, more than 12.2million doses have been given in the north west, including more than 2.1million booster jabs

Dr Linda Charles-Ozuzu, regional director of commissioning for NHS England and NHS Improvement in the north west, said: “The hard work and dedication from the vaccination teams across the region is tremendous.

“People who have come forward to be vaccinated have played their part in protecting our communities from the virus and have helped to make the programme such a success.

“Although we are celebrating, I would like to remind everyone that we still have a challenging winter ahead.

Residents wait to be vaccinated at Orford Jubilee Hub

“If you have not already been vaccinated, or are due a second or booster dose, please come forward and make sure you and your loved ones are protected.”

In the first year of the programme, north west vaccinators have used 205 miles of needles to protect us from the virus, which equates to the distance an astronaut would travel from space to earth, and an impressive 1,000 gallons of vaccine.

The Covid-19 vaccine is available to everyone aged 12 and over.

Booster vaccines are currently offered to everyone aged 40 and over, frontline health and social care workers and those aged 16 and over with an underlying health condition putting them at greater risk from the virus, six months after the second dose.

Following guidance to accelerate the vaccination programme in response to the potential threat from the new Omicron variant, the NHS is working on plans to offer a booster dose to everyone aged 18 and over from three months after the previous dose.

The NHS will tell people when it is their turn to have the booster vaccine.

You can book your Covid-19 jab at nhs.uk/covidvaccine or find a walk-in site near you at england.nhs.uk/north-west/grab-a-jab/